Christopher P. Parnagian, Member cparnagian@ohareparnagian.com

Christopher P. Parnagian is head of the firm's business and finance practice group and provides advice in respect of private business purchase and sale transactions, private placements and bank financings. Chris also handles general corporate matters, including advising on federal and state business statutes and negotiating and drafting shareholder, employment and joint venture agreements. As part of his corporate practice, Chris has developed expertise in successor liability law (especially as it applies in the context of asset sale transactions) and serves as national coordinating counsel in connection with litigation dealing with successor liability issues. In addition, Chris selectively practices as general counsel to New York City cooperative apartment corporations and condominium associations and oversees the representation of high net worth individuals in real estate acquisitions and dispositions.

Prior to co-founding OP in 1999, Chris was a business and finance attorney with Thelen Reid & Priest LLP. His work at Thelen included participating in initial public offerings and tender offers and negotiating and drafting acquisition agreements, underwriting agreements, option plans, and the full range of documents relating to venture capital investments. Before Thelen, Chris worked for TRW Inc. (now part of Northrop Grumman Corporation), where in his final position he served as manager in the Space & Technology Group.

Chris has served as Co-Chair of the New York Business Entities Subcommittee of the Corporation Law Committee of the New York City Bar; member of the Board of Directors of the Manhattan Council of the Boy Scouts of America; member of the Board of Trustees of Morningside Montessori School, New York, NY; instructor for "Techniques in Negotiating and Drafting Business Documents" with the St. John's University School of Law continuing legal education program; neutral in the Alternative Dispute Resolution Program of the Commercial Division of the Supreme Court, New York County; and pro bono corporate counsel to Saint Illuminator's Armenian Apostolic Cathedral, New York, NY.

Chris earned his J.D. from St. John's University School of Law. While at St. John's, he served as editor of the St. John's Law Review and as a staff member of the New York International Law Review. He also holds an M.B.A., with an emphasis in strategic planning, from the Marshall School of Business of the University of Southern California. Chris has a B.S. in Business Administration from San Francisco State University, where he graduated magna cum laude and was inducted into Beta Gamma Sigma (the national business student honor society).